News and commentary about the reigning royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco -- and the former European monarchies as well.

The Luxembourg newspaper, Tageblatt, has nearly 240 photos of Archduke Christian and Archduchess Adelaide's wedding with nary a foreign royal in sight, apart from the Luxembourg Grand Ducal family, and Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein. Prince Philipp is the elder brother of Prince Nikolaus who is married to Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, younger sister of Archduchess Marie Astrid.

Nearly 1300 were inside the Cathedral for the ceremony, but there are mentions of European royals who are not first or second cousins of the groom. Could this be because Christoph is the second son (and third child), and the younger sons do not have as grand a wedding as the eldest son? Archduke Christoph's wedding took place in France in a basilica, not a tiny Roman Catholic church in Washington, D.C. Only a few hundred could squeeze into St. Mary's Church in Chinatown. The Basilica of St. Epvre can seat at least 1300 people.

The royal guests who did travel to Washington, D.C., included members of the groom's maternal and paternal cousins, as well as the Duchess of Croy and her son, Hereditary Prince Carl Philipp (Germany), the Duke and Duchess of Braganza (Portugal), the Prince and Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (Germany) and Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria and her husband (New Jersey).

The gala reception was held at the city hall in Nancy. Dinner and dancing! The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg apparently did not want to draw attention to herself!

and more photos - on the Grand Ducal Court's official website: the official photographer, Jean-Claude Ernst, was also in Washington, D.C.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

While most people were looking at Archduchess Adelaide of Austria's wedding gown, designed by French couturier Diane Lelys, some royal fashionistas focused on what the mother of the bride was wearing.

Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria was dressed in a robin egg blue suit that was first worn in 2000 by her late mother, Grand Duchess Josephine, at Grand Duke Henri's investiture ceremony. This gives new meaning to raiding your mom's closet.

Marie Astrid wore the same suit, but in brown, to the wedding of her daughter, Archduchess Marie Christine.

Adelaide Drapé-Frisch, the eldest of five children of a French diplomat, and Archduke Christoph of Austria, third of five children of Archduke Christian of Austria and Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg, were married today at the Basilica of St. Epvre in Nancy, the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Lorraine.

Sixteen priests took part in the nuptial mass, which was officiated by Jean-Louis Papin, Bishop of Nancy. The bride and groom received a dispensation to marry in the cathedral.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg were among the guests at the wedding. The Grand Duke is the groom's godfather. (The groom's godmother is Archduchess Alexandra, sister of Archduke Christian.) They were accompanied by the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, Prince Felix and his fiancee, Claire Lademacher, Prince Louis and Princess Tessy, and their son, Prince Gabriel, Princess Alexandra and Prince Sebastien. The Grand Duke's siblings and members of their family were also in attendance, including Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein and her husband, Prince Nikolaus and their children, and Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla and their youngest child, Prince Jean. I did not see Princess Margaretha's twin brother, Prince Jean, and his wife, Diane, at the wedding, although it is likely that their children were present.

Archduke Christoph's witnesses were his older brother, Imre, and their cousin, Prince Felix. His siblings were also at the wedding. Archduchess Marie Christine and her husband, Count Rodolphe of Limburg-Stirum, brought along their young (and adorable) son, Count Leopold. Archuke Imre was accompanied by his new bride, Kathleen. Christoph's youngest siblings, Gabriela and Alexander, entered the church together.

Christoph's widowed paternal grandmother, Archduchess Yolande, traveled from her Brussels' home to attend the civil and religious weddings, but his maternal grandfather, Grand Duke Jean was present for the church service and the official photographs,

Although a guest list has not been published, it is understood Christoph's Habsburg cousins were present in the basilica, as well as members of the de Ligne and Merode families. Prince Philipp and Princess Isabelle of Liechtenstein, were also among the guests. The de Lignes included the Prince and Princess de Ligne and Prince Henri and Princess Alix de Ligne. The Duke and Duchess of Croy were also in the cathedral, as was Countess Antonia Holstein-Ledreborg.

One cousin who was spotted by a photographer was Duchess Sophie of Hohenberg, younger daughter of the late Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg. She attended the wedding with her husband, Baron Jean-Louis de Potesta, and their children, Charles, Louis, Elisabeth and Eleonore and her husband, Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova y Cervero. Others spotted the Prince of Ligne and his children.

The bride and her father arrived by car. She wore a cream colored gown with a fur trimmed jacket, which would keep her warm inside the church. Adelaide wore the same floral tiara that Archduchess Marie Christine wore on her wedding day. The tiara held the Habsburg family veil in place.

Prince Jean of Nassau and Prince Noah of Nassau, sons of Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla and Prince Louis and Princess Tessy, respectively, were two of the pages.

After the wedding ceremony, the couple emerged from the cathedral arm in arm. They got into a car and were driven back to the town hall, where they made a second appearance on the balcony, obliging the crowd with a kiss. This was followed by a lunch, and in the evening a gala dinner.

The groom is 24, and his wife is 23 years old.

According to the Luxembourg Court, about 1000 people were present for the wedding. One assumes that this number includes the general public as the wedding was open to the public. But one can also assume that a few foreign royals were present for the ceremony, but so far none of the news articles have included the names or photographs of anyone but the immediate family and the Luxembourgs. One wonders if there is a rift between Marie Astrid and her Belgian first cousins as none attended this wedding nor the wedding of her elder son, Imre, in Washington, D.C.

The last Habsburg to marry in Nancy was Archduke Otto, eldest son of Emperor Karl and Empress Zita, who married Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen in 1951. As their marriage could not have taken place in Vienna, Nancy, as the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Lorraine, was the next best thing.

Archduke Otto was the head of the former ruling house of Habsburg. He was succeeded by his elder son, Archduke Karl. Karl and his siblings are apparently not close to their paternal first cousins. It is said that that breakdown occurred at the time of Archduke Karl's marriage to the very wealthy Baroness Francesca von Thyssen. Other family members did not consider Francesca as suitable for a de jure empress. Francesca was described as canonically illegitimate by the Roman Catholic church as her parents were married in a civil ceremony only, as her father's first marriage had ended in divorce. She was received into the Catholic church before she married Karl.

None of Archduke Otto's four brothers attended Karl's wedding. They were not impressed with Francesca's millions nor her father's five marriages nor her own earlier party-girl lifestyle. According to the Sunday Telegraphy (January 31, 1993), "thirty-five of the closest male relatives are reported to have signed a letter" appealing to Archduke Otto to "forbid the marriage." Otto's brothers viewed Francesca as a "parvenu of questionable pedigree."

Otto brushed off their concerns, allowed the marriage to take place, and accepted the marriage as equal. The only requirement for an equal marriage now is for the bride to be a Christian.

Karl's wedding was boycotted by many of the Habsburgs including his uncles and their families. The estrangement between Karl and his cousins remains. He and Francesca live their own separate lives as well.

Friday, December 28, 2012

It is not easy to get the smallest princess to cooperate ... Little Princess Maria Christina of the Netherlands is the focus of her father's attention ... but she won't stay still for the camera. Even little princesses go through the terrible twos -- and Marijke was two years old when these photos were taken!

I was looking through one of my Dutch royal postcard albums, and noticed this three postcards - taken on July 7, 1949.

Archduke Christian of Austria and Adelaide Drapé-Frisch were married this afternoon in a civil ceremony at the town hall in Nancy, France.

Archduke Christoph is the second son and third child of Archduke Christian of Austria and his wife, Princess Marie Astrid of Austria. In September, Christoph's older brother, Archduke Imre, married Kathleen Walker in Washington, D.C.

Mayor André Rossinot officiated at the civil ceremony, which took plate at 5 p.m., in the wedding hall in Nancy's town hall. The young couple were applauded by a crowd that had gathered outside the town hall. After the ceremony, the newly married couple appeared on the town hall's balcony and waved to the crowd. Archduke Christoph gave Adelaide a kiss on the cheek, which brought more cheers from the crowd.

The young couple, their families, and their guests are staying tonight at the Grand Hotel de la Reine on Place Stanislaus in Nancy.

Members of the bride and groom's family were present for the civil ceremony, including the Luxembourg Grand Ducal family. Grand Duke Henri is Christoph's godfather. Witnesses included members of the princely family of de Ligne and Baron and Baroness Bernard Guerrier Dumast.

The groom is a great-nephew of the late Archduke Otto of Austria who married Princess Regina of Saxe-Meiningen in Nancy in 1951.

Archduke Christoph was educated at private schools in Switzerland, France and Belgium. For his primary education, he attended the Institutes of Notre-Dame du Lac and Florimont. His secondary education was spent in France at the Lycée Saint-Bonnet de Galaure and he finished his secondary education in Brussels, where he received his diploma.

He spent a year on sabbatical with Jeunesse Lumiere (Youth Light), a charismatic Roman Catholic Youth group, where he met Adelaide Drapé-Frisch.

He continued his education at Philanthropos, studying anthropology. He also worked in international relations, working with troubled youth, and as a nursing assistant in Fribourg, Switzerland.

Archduke Christoph currently works in finance in Geneva.

Adelaide's father, Philippe Drapé-Frisch, is a French diplomat. The eldest of five children, Adelaide and her siblings were educated at home until she turned ten, and the family moved to London.

After a four year assignment in London, Philippe and his family moved to Belgrade, Serbia.

Adelaide also attended Philanthropos, and then received a BS in Psychology in Paris. She speaks French, English, German and Serbo-Croatian.

The bride's gown has been designed by Diane Lelys, a Paris designer. Adelaide came to know the designer through mutual friends of her parents. The gown took eight months to make -- a "long and painstaking work of creation." Diane Lelys states that the wedding gown will reflect the bride, "a charming young woman, very delicate and sober."

The gown will feature "clean lines," and was made from duchesse satin. The gown will be complemented by a long train. The bride will wear the Habsburg veil and a tiara lent by the grand ducal family. Archduke Imre's wife, the former Kathleen Walker, also wore the Habsburg veil, but not a family tiara. Then again, most American brides do not wear diamond tiaras when they marry. Imre and Kathleen married in a historic, albeit very small, Roman Catholic church in the Chinatown area of Washington, D.C. I would have considered a tiara to be out of place for such a venue.

Before the civil ceremony took place, Archduke Christoph and Miss Drapé-Frisch, accompanied by their parents, paid their respects at the chapel of the Cordeliers in Nancy. The Dukes of Lorraine are buried in the crypt. It is a tradition that when a descendant of the Dukes of Lorraine marries in Nancy, the bride places a bouquet in the crypt.

Miss Drapé-Frisch, elegantly dressed in black, prayed and laid the flowers on a coffin. Archduke Christian made the same gesture.

"There was great joy and emotion for me as I entered the crypt, where so many of my ancestors now rest," said Archduke Christian in perfect French.

A rehearsal of the religious ceremony followed. The couple will be be married at the Basilica of St. Epvre tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be open to the public.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Recently added these postcards to my collection. The first group shows the newly married Crown Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands on March 10, 1966. The group photo includes family members, attendants and royal guests. Beatrix's youngest sister, Princess Christina, a bridesmaid, looks like she wandered in .. or was in need of a quick escape!

The second group photo was taken on September 10, 1968: the baptism of Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau, eldest son of Princess Margriet and Pieter van Vollenhoven.

This photo includes the families and the godparents, including then Hereditary Prince Alois-Konstantin of Löwenstein-Rosenberg-Wertheim

HRH Prince Felix of Luxembourg and his fiancee, German-born Claire Lademacher, posed for a phalanx of photographers at Schloss Berg. They were joined by the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, and the rest of the Grand Ducal family, and Claire's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hartmut Lademacher.

Although the date and place of the wedding has not been announced, it is expected that the wedding ceremony will take place in Germany.

Expect the newly engaged couple to appear together this weekend in Nancy, France, for the wedding of Felix's cousin, Archduke Christoph of Austria, who is marrying Adelaide Drapé-Frisch.

Princess Elisabeth of Stolberg-Rossla poses for an official portrait in 1909 at the time of her engagement to Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg. They were married on December 15, 1909, a year after the death of Johann Albrecht's first wife, Princess Elisabeth of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

The princess was 24 years old when she married. Duke Johann Albrecht, Regent for the Duchy of Brunswick, was 52 years old.

The marriage was childless. Duke Johann Albrecht died in 1920. Four years later, Elisabeth married her late husband's half-brother, Duke Adolf Friedrich, whose first wife, Princess Viktoria Feodora Reuss, died the day after giving birth to a daughter, Woizlawa Feodora in December 1918.

Princess Elisabeth was the daughter of Prince Botho of Stolberg-Rossla and Princess Hedwig of Ysenburg und Büdingen.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's office notified the usual suspects -- the photographers -- to tell them to not come to Buckleberry and take photos outside the church. They stated this was a private event for them.

The photographers agreed to this "bizarre" request, but the message was sent only to a select group. The request was not sent to the wire services and other major news organizations, who did show up and take photos outside St. Mark's Church in Englefield.

Memo to the Duke of Cambridge: you are second in line to the throne. You are the future head of the Church of England. Arrivals and departures from church are not private moments. Kneeling at the Communion rail, and receiving the Sacrament is a private moment.

The Reuters photos were not shot by paparazzi. These photos -- the Today Show just showed the snaps -- did not violate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's privacy.

I must say the Duchess did not look well in the photographs. She looked wan and tired, which is not a surprise considering her bout with severe morning sickness.

The topless photos taken by a photographer with a very long lens did violate privacy laws in France. Leaving church on Christmas Day did not violate privacy laws.

My sincere thanks to Jesal Parshotam, one of the photographers who did go to Buckleberry and took a selection of photos, for allowing me to use his photos.

Friday, December 21, 2012

The American-born Princess Agnes zu Salm-Salm has died. The New York Times notes that her death has "brought to an end a most romantic career." The daughter of an American Colonel, Agnes Leclercq was born at Baltimore, Maryland, on Christmas Day, 1840.

As a young woman, she gained minimal fame as an actress. She also moved in Washington, D.C.'s, social and political circles. In 1862, Agnes married Prince Felix zu Salm-Salm, a soldier of fortune. He had served in the German and Austrian armies before coming to the United States to join the Union Army, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier General.

After the end of the Civil War, Prince Felix headed to Mexico, and became the aide-de-camp to Emperor Maximilian. Prince Felix was imprisoned, and he was freed with the assistance of his wife. After he was freed, Prince Felix returned to Germany, accompanied by his wife.

When war broke out in 1870, Prince Felix joined the Prussian army. He was killed in the battle of Gravelotte.

Princess Agnes accompanied her husband "throughout all his campaigns." During the Franco-Prussian war, she served as a hospital nurse, and received the Iron Cross for bravery.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Lia Lambrino, the wife of Paul Lambrino, has knocked a few years off her age, it seems ..

this article states that Lia is 58 years old. The American-born Lia Triff IS NOT 58 years old. She was born on February 23, 1949. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 1972 shortly before her marriage to noted torts lawyer Melvin Belli.

Mark your calendar as several important royal marriages are scheduled to take place next year.

The Duke of Cumberland, a great-grandson of George III, is to marry Princess Thyra of Denmark, youngest daughter of King Christian IX. The betrothal was made public on November 20 at Fredensborg Castle.

The Chicago Daily Tribune reports that the ceremony was "impressive." About 6:15 p.m., the Royal family entered the drawing room, where the official presentations were made. A "procession was formed" and all the guests made their way to the dining room for a magnificent banquet.

Speaking in French, King Christian announced the betrothal of "his beloved daughter, the Princess Thyra, and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cumberland," asking everyone to "drink to their health to wish them every happiness and prosperity."

This was followed by a flourish of trumpets and the playing of "God Save the Queen" by a band.

The Duke of Cumberland then stood up, expressing his gratitude to the king and queen for granting "to him the hand of the Princess.

This was followed by the playing of the Danish national anthem, "King Christian Stood beside the Mast."

The Duke of Cumberland is the son of the late King George V of Hanover, who lost his throne in 1866, when Prussia annexed the tiny kingdom.

The Duke is a king in name only, and unlikely to ever regain the Crown. The Prussian government did not send a representative to the ceremony,

The date for the wedding was not announced, but is expect to take place sometime next year.

The marriage of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, will take place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on February 7. The ceremony will be "performed with much state and with great festivities.

Queen Victoria is expected to have a prominent role in the ceremony.

Princess Louise Margaret will be attended by eight bridesmaids, the daughters of the Dukes of Bedford and Marlborough, the Marquesses Headford and Conynham and the Earls Errol and Elgin, Bradford and Mount Edgenumbe.

It was also made known today that the household of the future Duchess of Connaught, "as was the case with that of the Duchess of Edinburgh, will be composed "exclusively of English ladies."

The Viennese artist is currently at work on a portrait of Princess Louise Margaret.

The bridegroom will soon visit Berlin for one final time before the wedding. He will stay at the Royal Palace where Princess Friedrich Karl and her daughter are staying. The final preparations for this marriage will take place during the Duke's visit.

The Marquise de Fontenoy's latest dispatch focuses on Princess Henry of Prussia's trip to China, where she will learn about the news that her eldest son, Prince Waldemar, is "critically ill with diphtheria."

Princess Irene, "forced solely against her will by the Kaiser to undertake the long and arduous trip to China for political purposes at the shortest possible notice, " Princess Henry will arrive in Hong Kong, where she will be told about about Prince Waldemar's condition.

She was forced to leave her two sons behind at Kiel, where nine-year-old Waldemar became "critically ill." For a time, his "life was despaired of," and one of Europe's finest surgeons, Professor von Bergmann, "was summoned by special train from Berlin" to perform a tracheotomy.

The young prince is now out of danger, will be provide some relief to his mother, who knows well that diphtheria is a serious illness. Her mother, the Grand Duchess of Hesse and By Rhine, and a younger sister, Princess Marie, both succumbed to the disease in late 1878.

The princess's older sister, Princess Louis of Battenberg, left her family in Darmstadt, when she learned of her nephew's illness. She could not "bear the idea" that her nephew was along "in the hands of strangers, no matter how devoted they were."

Prince and Princess Henry's younger son, Prince Sigismund, has not become ill with the disease.

Kaiser Wilhelm II also wished to visit his nephew, but his physicians would not permit him to leave Berlin.

Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz issued a statement today announcing that the "Estates would be convoked in extraordinary sessions" next year to "enact a Constitution" for the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

The two grand duchies are the only states in Europe without a Constitution, reports the New York Times.

There have been earlier attempts to "modernize the existing feudal form of government," but all have failed due to the "attitude of the privileged classes."

Earlier this evening, the Princess of Wales gave birth to a son. Mother and baby are "doing well," reports the New York Times.

This is the fifth child for the Prince and Princess of Wales. All of their children are living, and are "considered to be among the healthiest children in European royalty."

The Prince of Wales -- Prince George -- is the only surviving son of King Edward VII, and heir apparent to the British throne. He married Princess Victoria Mary of Teck at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, on July 6, 1893.

The couple's first child, Prince Edward, was born at White Lodge, Richmond, on June 23, 1894. Prince Albert was born on December 14, 1895 at Sandringham. Princess Mary was born at Sandringham on April 25, 1897; and Prince Henry was born at Sandringham on March 31, 1900.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The funeral of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine took place today in Darmstadt, according to the Chicago Daily Tribune. His "body was placed in the family mausoleum," and his funeral was attended by his relatives and by Prince Henry of Prussia, Grand Duke Serge and Grand Duke Paul of Russia, Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar and the Landgrave of Hesse. Col. Corington represented the United Kingdom at the funeral.

Prince Alexander was the fourth child of Ludwig III, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his first wife, Princess Mathilde of Bavaria.

He was born at Darmstadt on July 15, 1823. His marriage to Julie von Hauke at Breslau on October 28, 1851 was considered a scandal as the marriage was morganatic. A week after the marriage, Julie was created Countess of Battenberg. In December 1858, she was created as Princess of Battenberg with the rank of Serene Highness. The couple's five children share her rank and title.

Prince Alexander died at Darmstadt on December 15. He is survived by his widow, Julie, Princess of Battenberg, and their five children: Princess Marie who is the wife of the Gustav, Count of Erbach-Schönberg; Louis, who married to Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, his first cousin once removed, Prince Alexander, Prince Henry, who is married to Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice; and Prince Franz Josef.

Prince Alexander's older brother, Ludwig, is the reigning Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine.

The Lord Chamberlain's office announced on December 18 that the Court would go into mourning until December 29th in honor of His Grand Ducal Highness, who was the father-in-law of Princess Henry (Princess Beatrice.)

The New York Times is reporting from Berlin (via Copenhagen) that former Kaiser Wilhelm II's "private cash fortune" is in the amount of 20 million marks. The money has been kept in various banks at 4.5 interest.

Prince Eitel Friedrich, the former Kaiser's second son, has now taken charge of the family's assets, having been appointed as head of the family in Germany by his father.

The fortune was accumulated by King Friedrich Wilhelm III in 1840. The King was Wilhelm II's great-grandfather, and it was "bequeathed by him to his successor to the crown, with the proviso that one-half should be left intact unless Prussia was in a desperate condition."

It is expected that Wilhelm, now in the Netherlands, will assume control of the money.

Members of the imperial family are claiming ninety estates, which consist of "castles, farms, forests and moorlands." All but seven of these estates are private property.

The new Finance Minister is investigating these claims as the "revolutionary Government" had "provisionally decided to confiscate all crown property."

Prince Eitel Friedrich and Count zu Eulenberg, the former minister of Imperial House, have stated that they have the documentation to prove their claims. They claim that Bellevue Palace and Montbijou with the English church in Berlin are private property, as well as thirteen palaces in Potsdam, Wilhelmshöhe in Castle, and palaces in Charlottenburg, Koblenz, Wiesbaden, Freinwalde and other estates.

The Hohenzollerns also own homes in Trouville, France, on Corfu and the Cafareli Palace in Rome.

These homes "represent enormous values," and Wilhelm II and his family will remain very comfortable if they are permitted to retain their estates.

But there are also plans in Germany to pass a special law "compelling" the Hohenzollerns to pay "large sums in taxes." They may also be asked to return 15 million marks which Wilhelm I, the grandfather of Wilhelm II, "appropriated as his share of the war indemnity paid by France."

The large annuities paid to the member of the Prussian royal house have been stopped, but no law has been passed to abolish these payments.

In the former grand duchy of Mecklenburg, the new government has "abolished all payments" to members of the grand ducal family. Grand Duchess Anastasia, the widow of Friedrich Franz III, and mother of former Crown Princess Cecilie, loses her annual payment of 200,000 Marks. She is "immensely rich anyway, as she used to "spend most of her income in France and at Monte Carlo."

By ending this annual allowances to the grand ducal family, Mecklenburg will save 700,000 Marks.

Father Raymund, the recently ordained priest, arrived in England this week. Father Raymund was until "a little over a year ago" Prince Karl of Löwenstein-Rosenberg-Wertheim, who was, according to the New York Times, one of the "founders and leaders" of the Catholic Center Party in the German Reichstag.

A devout Roman Catholic Karl "renounced his estates, position and dignitaries," to become a novice in the Dominican Order Last week, the 74-year-old Prince was ordained as a priest by Cardinal Fischer, Archbishop of Cologne.

The new priest is now at St. Dominic's Priory at Haverstock Hill in London. He is in his way to the Isle of Wight, to visit his sister and his daughter, who are nuns at the Benedictine Abbey at Ryde.

Prince Karl has three daughters who have entered the religious life, and his older sister, Adelheid, is the widow of former King Miguel of Portugal, who reined from 1828 to 1834.)

He has been active for more than 50 years with "the struggle for the rights of Roman Catholics in Germany.

His ordination was a "striking spectacle." Many of his relatives were in the congregation, and he was assisted at the high mass by his eldest son.

Prince Karl laid on the altar his "robes of state with the collar of the Golden Fleece, the Grand Cross of Malta and that of the Order of Christ." These "glittering badges of knighthood and worldly rank" were exchanged for a "white tunic and black mantle of a Dominican."

Prince Karl is the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Constantin of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. who was a "diplomat and a man of fashion." He did not approve of his heir's "entreaties to be allowed to enter the Church." Instead, Prince Karl was married to Princess Adelheid of Isenburg-Büdingen in 1859. She died in March 1861 nearly two weeks after giving birth to a daughter, Maria Anna.

After her death, Prince Karl's "thoughts turned again to the Church," but his "stern parent" would not permit it, and found him a second wife, Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, who had also been "obliged to give up the Church for the sake of a wordly marriage."

The couple were married in May 1863. Their first child, Franziska, was born in March 1864.

The princess was described as a woman "of excessive piety."

Prince Karl and Princess Sophie "retired from the world" and lived largely as hermits in their "numerous castles." They had six children. One daughter is a "poor Sister of Charity" in St, Francisca of Aschen. Another is a Benedictine at Ryde and a third daughter is a nun at a "lonely convent" in Bohemia. One son is the prior of a convent in Hungary.

The four children took their vows more than 20 years ago, and this will be first time since they took holy orders that Prince Karl has seen his children.

Princess Sophie died in 1899, and since then Karl has never smiled. He would emerge from his "religious seclusion" to take part in Center Party events, but he continued to look toward the church.

The Domincan Order will "greatly profit" from the new priest. He has already given $200,000 for a new chapel. He is worth more than $40 million in securities and land.

[Editor's note: there are a lot of things wrong with this story, and one can only assume that the New York Times's writer based the story on what was being reported in the German press. Karl's father, Hereditary Prince Constantine died in 1838, when his only son was four years old.

Karl and his older sister, Adelheid became orphans when their father died as their mother, Princess Marie Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, had died in September 1835.

Karl succeeded as the Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg in November 1849 following the death of his father, Karl.

Thus, it would have been impossible for Karl's father to arrange a marriage for his son, let alone two marriages.

Karl's older sister, Adelheid, married Miguel, the Duke of Braganza in 1851. He died in 1866. She later became a Benedictine nun.

Karl and his second wife, Sophie, had eight children: Franziska (1864-1930), Adelheid (1865-1941), who married Count Adalbert of Schönborn, Agnes (1866-1954), Joseph (1868-1870), Marie Therese (1870-1935), the wife of Miguel, Duke of Braganza, who was her first cousin; Aloys (1871-1952), who married Countess Josephine Kinsky von Wchinitz u Tettau; Anna (1873-1936), who married Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg; and Johannes (1880-1956), who married Countess Alexandra von Bernstoff.

Three of Karl's daughters never married: Maria Anna (from his first marriage), and Franziska and Agnes. One assumes these three princesses became nuns. Joseph died in his second year, which meant he never became a priest. Aloys, the grandfather of the present prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Aloys-Konstantin, married, as did the youngest son, Johannes.

When Karl was ordained as a priest, he also renounced his titles in favor of his eldest son, Aloys, who succeed him as Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

The Catholic Encyclopedia has an entry about Prince Karl. The article provides information about his religious work, and also mentions that two daughters, Princess Franziska de Paula "joined the Sisters of St. Francis at Aachen and Agnes entering the Benedictine convent in the Isle of Wight." It is entirely possible that Maria Anna also spent time in a convent, perhaps the lonely one in Bohemia, but the Catholic Encyclopedia does not reference this.

The Chicago Daily Tribune is reporting that Prince Karl of Bavaria "has been missing," but as there "was a beautiful actress in the case," he was soon found. There is a "strain of family insanity in his blood."

The eighteen-year-old Prince is the second son of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and his wife, Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria. Prince Karl is the fourth of thirteen children.

Princess Maria Rosa of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein is "determined to descend from royal rank" and marry a "lowly school teacher" Josef Hugo Waldenmeier, who is from Bartenstein, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The Princess, who was born in 1903, is the eldest of six children of the late Prince Johann Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein and Archduchess Anna Maria of Austria, Princess of Tuscany.

She has overcome family opposition to the marriage, which is described as a love match, but she still needs the consent of her grandmother, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, who lives in Salzburg.

The princess and Mr. Waldenmeier will be traveling soon to meet with the Grand Duchess.

The infant daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Apulia has been named Isabella.

The princess, who was born on December 14 in Paris, has been named in honor of Princess Isabelle of Orléans (1878-1961)

Princess Isabelle Marie Laure Mercedes Fernandine was the daughter of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, and Infanta Isabel of Spain. She was married at Twickenham, England, on October 30, 1899 to Prince Jean, Duke of Guise (1874-1940)

The newlyweds were first cousins. The duke and duchess of Guise had four children: Princess Isabelle (1900-1983) who was married twice, first to Count Bruno d'Harcourt. and secondly to Prince Pierre Murat; Princess Francoise who married Prince Christopher of Greece; Princess Anne who married Prince Amadeo, Duke of Aosta; and Prince Henri, Count of Paris, who married Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza.

The Duke and Duchess of Apulia are descendants of Princess Isabella. Prince Francoise and Prince Christopher of Greece had one son, Prince Michael, the father of the Duchess of Apulia.

The Duke of Apulia is the grandson of the Count and Countess of Paris as their daughter, Claude, was the first wife of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Savoia.

Princess Anne of Orléan's husband, Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta, died in a prison camp in 1942. He was succeeded by the Duke of Apulia's grandfather, Prince Aimone, who was married to Princess Irene of Greece.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

A group shot of the four Edinburgh sisters - Alexandra looked very much like her mother, Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna.

Princess Elisabeth was about 2 years old when this photo was taken in 1910. She was the 9th child of Georg, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg

Before the wedding: King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess Ena of Battenberg in Biarritz at the time of their engagement.

Princess Johann Georg of Schoenaich-Carolath and her first two children, Hans Georg (1907-1943) and Orince Georg Wilhelm (1909-1927.) The former Princess Hermine Reuss married Prince Johann Georg in 1907. He died in 1920. As a relatively young widow, Hermine caught the attention of the exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II, a widower, and she became his second wife.

Georg and Marie, Prince and Princess of Schaumburg-Lippe in 1904 with their eldest sons, Adolf, Moritz, Wolrad, Stephan & Heinrich.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

HRH Princess Olga, Duchess of Apulia, gave birth to a daughter yesterday in Paris. The yet to be named princess is the third child of for Princess Olga and her husband, HRH Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, Duke of Apulia. They have two sons, Prince Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, and Prince Amedeo, who were born in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

The Duke of Apulia is the son of HRH Prince Amedeo, Duke of Savoia, and his first wife, Princess Claude of France.

The Duchess is the daughter of Prince Michael and Princess Marina of Greece.

Earlier this week, Miss Iris FitzGeorge married Robert Balfour. The bride is a granddaughter of the late Duke of Cambridge and his morganatic wife Sarah Fairbrother and a second cousin to Queen Mary.

Mrs. Balfour is the daughter of the Duke of Cambridge's third son, Col. FitzGeorge, and her mother, Rosa Baring, is the sister of Francis Baring, who, according to the New York Times, "created a sensation by opening a beauty specialist shop in the West End.

The bride received a dazzling array of gifts from her royal relatives. Queen Mary gave a "green enamel brooch the Royal Cypher and a crown in diamonds." Queen Alexandra's gift was an amethyst and diamond pendant, which formed the letter A."

The bride's great aunt, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz gave her a "portrait of herself in a silver frame." Prince and Princess Alexander of Teck and the Duke and Duchess of Teck also sent "dainty gifts."

Mrs. Balfour wore a veil and a diamond pendant that once belonged to the Duchess of Gloucester, a daughter of George III. Her tiara which was "formed of gold leaves studded with diamonds" had also once belonged to the late duchess. She was given the tiara and a diamond and emerald breakfast by her uncle, Sir Augustus FitzGeorge.

Archduchess Eleonora of Austria met her future husband, Lieut. Alfons von Kloss when he was "in command of his prospective father-in-law's yacht," reports the New York Times.

The archduchess is the eldest daughter of Archduke Karl Stephan and Archduchess Maria Theresa. She was born November 28, 1886.

Eleonora was only 15-years-old when she first met Alfons von Kloss, a young naval sailor who became the captain of her father's yacht. They fell in love, and Karl Stephan was able to persuade Emperor Franz Josef to give permission for the marriage.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Further bulletins have been released concerning the condition of the Grand Duchess of Hesse. Her fever has increased "and the swelling having reached the larynx."

A bulletin was released at 10:30 pm., from Darmstadt. "The Princess Alice is unconscious; pulse 140 a minute, inhaling ceased."

This announcement conflicted an earlier bulletin from Sir William Jenner.
At 6 p/m., he sent a telegraph at 6 p.m., stating that the Grand Duchess had "rallied much." One hour later, a bulletin said that "her strength had diminished during the afternoon."

The 6 p.m., bulletin from Sir William, which was received at Marlborough House states in full: "The Grand Duchess has rallied much. Her pulse has more power, and is not more frequent. She has improved. Her Royal Highness takes nourishment freely, and is in a more favorable state altogether."

Earlier in the day, one of the bulletins issued from Darmstadt stated that the "condition of the Grand Duchess of Hesse continues to be such as to cause great anxiety."

Queen Victoria is indisposed at Windsor. The annual "special service," at the Royal Mausoleum tomorrow in honor of the late Prince Consort has been postponed.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Leopold left London this evening to visit the Queen, and will stay with her tonight.

I really should not think outside the box. I thought that the new succession law would be truly modernized, and limit the succession to fewer people. The new marriage clause limits approval to the first six in line to the throne.

The text of the proposed change of succession law was published today. The Royal Marriages Act will be repealed, but the Act of Settlement will not be repealed or superceded, just amended.

A

BILL

TO

Make succession to the Crown not depend on gender; to make provision
about Royal Marriages; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and
consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1Succession to the Crown not to depend on gender

In determining the succession to the Crown, the gender of a person born after
28 October 2011 does not give that person, or that person’s descendants,
precedence over any other person (whenever born).

25Removal of disqualification arising from marriage to a Roman Catholic

(1)A person is not disqualified from succeeding to the Crown or from possessing it as a result of marrying a person of the Roman Catholic faith.

(2)Subsection (1) applies in relation to marriages occurring before the time of the coming into force of this section where the person concerned is alive at that 10time (as well as in relation to marriages occurring after that time).

3Consent of Sovereign required to certain Royal Marriages

(1)A person who (when the person marries) is one of the 6 persons next in the line of succession to the Crown must obtain the consent of Her Majesty before marrying.

(2)15Where any such consent has been obtained, it must be—

(a)signified under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom,

(b)declared in Council, and

(c)recorded in the books of the Privy Council.

(3)The effect of a person’s failure to comply with subsection (1) is that the person 20and the person’s descendants are disqualified from succeeding to the Crown.

Succession to the Crown BillPage 2

(4)The Royal Marriages Act 1772 (which provides that, subject to certain exceptions, a descendant of King George II may marry only with the consent of the Sovereign) is repealed.

(5)A void marriage under that Act is to be treated as never having been void if—

(a)5neither party to the marriage was one of the 6 persons next in the line of succession to the Crown at the time of the marriage,

(b)no consent was sought under section 1 of that Act, or notice given under section 2 of that Act, in respect of the marriage,

(c)in all the circumstances it was reasonable for the person concerned not 10to have been aware at the time of the marriage that the Act applied to it, and

(d)no person acted, before the coming into force of this section, on the basis that the marriage was void.

(6)Subsection (5) applies for all purposes except those relating to the succession 15to the Crown.

4Consequential amendments etc

(1)The Schedule contains consequential amendments.

(2)References (however expressed) in any enactment to the provisions of the Bill of Rights or the Act of Settlement relating to the succession to, or possession of, 20the Crown are to be read as including references to the provisions of this Act.

(3)The following enactments (which relate to the succession to, and possession of, the Crown) are subject to the provision made by this Act—

Article II of the Union with Scotland Act 1706;

Article II of the Union with England Act 1707;

25Article Second of the Union with Ireland Act 1800;

Article Second of the Act of Union (Ireland) 1800.

5Commencement and short title

(1)This section comes into force on the day on which this Act is passed.

(2)The other provisions of this Act come into force on such day and at such time 30as the Lord President of the Council may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.

(3)Different days and times may be appointed for different purposes.

(4)This Act may be cited as the Succession to the Crown Act 2013.

Succession to the Crown BillPage 3

Section 4

ScheduleConsequential amendments

Treason Act 1351

1The Treason Act 1351 (declaration of offences to be adjudged treason) has 5effect as if—

(a)the first reference to eldest son and heir were a reference to eldest child and heir;

(b)the second reference to eldest son and heir were a reference to eldest son if the heir.

10Bill of Rights

2In section 1 of the Bill of Rights, omit—

(a)“or by any King or Queene marrying a papist”;

(b)“or shall marry a papist”;

(c)“or marrying”.

15Act of Settlement

3In the Act of Settlement—

(a)in the preamble, omit “or marry a papist” and “or marrying”;

(b)in section 2, omit “or shall marry a papist”.

Regency Act 1937

420In section 3(2) of the Regency Act 1937 (persons disqualified from becoming or being Regent), after “Crown” insert “, or is a person disqualified from succeeding to the Crown by virtue of section 3(3) of the Succession to the Crown Act 2013”.

Supplementary

525The amendments made by paragraphs 2 and 3 apply in relation to marriages occurring before the time of the coming into force of section 2 where the person concerned is alive at that time (as well as in relation to marriages occurring after that time).

The Luxembourg court has released Claire Lademacher's biography.
Claire Margareta Lademacher was born on 21 March 1985 in Filderstadt, Germany, as the second child of Hartmut and Gabriele Lademacher. Claire has an older brother, Felix Lademacher. She spent her childhood with her family in Usingen (Hochtaunuskreis, Germany).After attending primary school in Germany, at the age of eleven, Claire moved with her family to
Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended the Atlanta International School.
In 1999, the Lademacher family returned to Germany. There, Claire was enrolled in
Frankfurt International School in Oberursel, before spending her last two years of school in
Switzerland at the Collège Alpin International "Beau Soleil", where she received the Prize of
Excellency in 2003.
After receiving her baccalaureate, which focused on History, English, German, Psychology and Art, Claire decided to major in International Communications at the American University of"
After graduating from university in 2007, she took her first steps into a professional career at the
advertising department of the Condé Nast publishing house in New York and Munich, and then worked as a project manager at IMG World in Berlin. At the end of 2011, Claire decided to
continue her studies and begin a Masters in Bioethics at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University in Rome, which she received with Alongside her studies, she has been working for the Chair of Bioethics and Human Rights at UNESCO since 2009, in particularin the fields of research, event coordination and communication.
Currently, Claire remains in the Italian capital, where she is working on her PhD on the ethical
aspects of organ donation consent. As part of her studies, Claire has spent the past few months
as a visiting researcher at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Besides German, her mother tongue, Claire speaks English, French and Italian.
From a young age, Miss Lademacher has had a passion for dance. Claire is very athletic and
enjoys playing tennis, volleyball, badminton and skiing. She has close ties to nature and has
been interested in photography and music since she was a teenager. Inspired by her parents
she takes an interest in social and cultural issues.In addition, Claire has travelled widely, getting involved in humanitarian projects, in particular inTirupur, India in the autumn of 2002

The official announcement was made this morning. Prince Felix of Luxembourg is engaged to marry German-born Claire Lademacher.

http://www.monarchie.lu/fr/actualites/evenements/2012/12/prince-felix-fiancailles/index.htmlExpect the couple to appear together at the wedding of Felix's first cousin, Archduke Christophof Austria on December 29.The date of the wedding has not been announced.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Countess Granville, sister of Queen Elizabeth, gave the first "public description" of the 4-week-old infant son of Princess Elizabeth. Lady Granville told the Associated Press that the baby "couldn't be more angelic look." She added that he has "amazingly delicate features for so young a baby."

The infant Prince is described as "golden haired with the most beautiful complexion."

Earlier today, John Gordon, editor of the Sunday Express "reproved the Palace for being so close-mouthed about the royal heir."

He wanted to know why the baby's name has not been announced.

"Has this secrecy been necessary? Even more important, is it wise and good?"

Newspapers have been "pleading in vain" for the Palace to release photographs of the baby and tell the world his name.

Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, gave birth to her first child on November 14.

Is there an engagement in the offing? This is what matchmakers and bookie are thinking as Princess Margaret spent the weekend at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

The Associated Press reported that the Duke's 22-year-old son, the Marquess of Blandford "squired the princess" to Oxford where they saw the American musical, High Button Shoes."

Many now expect that Princess Margaret's engagement to Lord Blandford will be announced shortly before her 19th birthday next August.

Princess Marie Louise of Orleans and Walter P. Kingsland Jr. were married today at St. Richard's Church in Chichester, England, despite rumors that "efforts were being made to prevent the marriage" between a French princess and a commoner, according to reports by the Chicago Daily Tribune and the Associated Press.

The princess issued a statement, which said that her parents were "reconciled" to the marriage. The Duke, who has been ill, sent a representative to the wedding ceremony. Marie Louise feared "that overzealous royalists might attempt to prevent the marriage."

Princess Marie Louise received police protection at her home last night. She had lived in a cottage in the "lonely countryside of West Sussex" for more than a year.

According to the New York Times, "every entrance to the moss-covered churfh was guarded by police." Inside, detectives were on watch inside the church.
The simple wedding ceremony took place in the small Roman Catholic church. There was no music or wedding bells, as the princess is still in mourning for the death of her sister, Princess Sophie.

Fifty people were in the congregation and all were admitted by ticket, although there were only eight invited guests. Even the bridegroom had to show a ticket to be admitted to the church.

The princess wore a "brown dress and a brown cloth coat trimmed with fox fur." She also wore a brown hat, three ropes of pearls, and a "large spray of mauve orchids."

After Walter Kingsland repeated: "I take thee, Marie Louise, Princess of Orleans, to be my wedded wife," he placed on her finger a silver and gold ring that had been passed down "through the royal families of France."

A reception was held at the bride's home, and afterward, they left for their honeymoon in London.

This is the bride's second marriage. In 1916, Princess Marie Louise married Prince Filippo of Bourbon-Two-Sicilies. A year later, the princess gave birth to the couple's only child., Prince Gaetano. The marriage was annulled in 1925.

The groom is described as a "wealthy New Yorker and Parisian."
He is the son of Walter F. Kingsland, who has lived in Paris for a numbers, and maintains a home on the Avenue Bois de Boulogne.

Princess Marie Louise's father, the Duke of Vendome, was unable to attend the wedding due to illness.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

It appears that all of opposition to the marriage of Prince Alfred of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and Miss Catherine Britton has abated. Prince Alfred, former attache to the Austro-Hungarian embassy in Washington, D.C., will marry his American sweetheart, Catherine Britton later this week in Washington, reports the Chicago Daily Tribune.

Austrian diplomatic officials were so opposed to Prince Alfred's courtship that he was "temporarily detached from the embassy" and sent on a trip to California.''

But of course absence made Alfred's heart grow even fonder for Miss Britton, and she has agreed to be his wife. He recently returned from California to make the "detailed arrangements" for the wedding.

It is understood that no member of the embassy staff will be present for the wedding. It is expected that the the couple will be married in "the presence of a small company."

The Prince as already declared his intention" of "braving the disfavor of his family," and may even become an American. He is "exceedingly democratic," and enjoys the "freedom of the United States."

Over a year, Miss Britton traveled to France with a friend, to work in an allied hospital. Her affection for her Austrian prince "has changed to her sympathies," and she is now "decidedly pro-German."

Now available for purchase: a well-researched, footnoted article on the life of Grand Duke Michael Mikahilovich of Russia, whose marriage to Countess Sophie von Merenberg was unequal, but a love match. I wrote this piece some years ago for Royalty Digest, and now again available. The price is $5.00 (and will be sent to you as a PDF). Just click on the Buy Now link for purchase. Thanks.

The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins

My article, The Gleichens: the Unknown Royal Cousins, is now available through Kindle on Amazon, in all the Amazons' Kindle stores. This link is for US Amazon. The price is $9.99. Just visit your Amazon and go to the Kindle store, search for my article. The article runs more than 50 pages! And who were the Gleichens: Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (nephew of Queen Victoria) and his family. His marriage to Lady Laura Seymour was considered unequal, and his wife and children were created Countesses and Count Gleichen. A German title but very English people .... Feodora, Edward, Valda and Helena .. all talented and interesting people. True junior royals.

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All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed or published without the prior approval of Marlene A. Koenig. You can, however, provide a link to the blog or to a post on the blog. Please credit Marlene A Koenig and Royal Musings. Thanks

Sources

The sources consulted for this blog include the New York Times, the Chicago Daily Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and The Times. I also consult books and other materials in my personal library. All the photos come from my personal collection, unless other noted.